27.11.07

"Schrödinger's cat is an imaginary experiment — a thought experiment — devised by Erwin Schrödinger, which is often described as a paradox. It attempts to illustrate what he saw as the problems of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics when it is applied to systems large enough to be seen with the naked eye, and not just to atomic or subatomic systems.

It is accepted that a subatomic particle can exist in a superposition of states, a combination of possible states. According to the Copenhagen Interpretation, the superposition only settles into a definite state upon observation. This is known as collapse or measurement.

Schrödinger proposed his "cat", after a suggestion of Albert Einstein's. Schrödinger states that if a scenario existed where a cat's state of life or death could be made dependent on the state of a subatomic particle, and also isolated from any possible observation, the state of the cat itself would be a quantum superposition — according to the Copenhagen interpretation, at least.

Schrödinger did not wish to promote the idea of dead-and-alive cats as a serious possibility. Rather he believed the "absurd" conclusion indicated a flawed assumption. Some, not realizing his cat is a demonstration of the absurd, believe the cat is, indeed, half-dead and half-alive."-Wikipedia

I thought I would take a moment to explain how this applies to relationships between people of all kinds: from friends to acquaintances to strangers to lovers. Schrödinger's relationship exists when there is no communication, no collapse. No one is allowed to know where the 2 parties are at because they are not communicating. Assumptions can be made and presumptions followed. One of the parties may decide that the silence "means something" but in reality the only thing being conveyed is silence. The relationship is nothing until at the first point of resuming or starting communication it comes into being. For good or bad for understanding or disrespect nothing exists until that moment. And once silence resumes nothing exists again. I mean more than just radio silence here, I mean silence of all communications - verbal, non-verbal, touch, visual, aural, everything and anyway to communicate.

Now mayhaps be there are people who disagree with me, and say that silence speaks volumes to them. & I say that is very nice. It means nothing to me but a lack of communication. I listen to all the things I hear someone not saying and know that it is projection. I know that I am reading my own wants, desires, and fears into their silence and that is not fair to all involved. As a child, when I thought and acted as a child I read silence as assent when it suited my purposes. As an adult I know damned well where the lines are drawn and silence does not equate agreement. It equates nothing, it equates Schrödinger's relationship.